Located in Holland Ponds Park, the Heron Rookery is home to dedicated nesting areas for Great Blue Herons. With development comes reduced habitat for these large birds.

Blue Herons nest in pairs and this park averages around 40 nests per year with each nest hatching 2 to 4 chicks although the number of chicks to be fledged is usually much lower. Weather, natural selection, and other factors come into play with the numbers on new birds that make it to adulthood.

This hatchery is the most successful hatchery in all of southeast Michigan and has continued to improve their numbers over the course of several years.

River Bends and Holland Ponds Park offer many photographic opportunities and should be explored but Heron Rookery is off limits. You may be able to get a shot from the distance but to preserve the success of the rookery, access has been limited. Blue Heron may abandon nests if they feel threatened and colonial nesting means that available, undisturbed nesting areas are declining so please keep your distance and stay on designated trails.

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